Thanks to the efforts of Planning Commission Chair Barry Moore, the variance was whittled down to 150 sq ft, which is the same as the City Council allowed for the two Hospitals along I-35.

The Planning Commission is only a recommending body and the final issue could be decided by the City Council at the Oct 8th meeting.

While it may be reasonable to permit Sam's Club to have a 100 sq ft Sign - between 30 & 50 ft high, just like what we did for Wal-Mart, it is not reasonable for Sam's to have a 150 sq ft signage and 60 ft height. That is excessive and would rewrite the I-35 Corridor Standard.

Other considerations:

#1. If the City Council approves a variance for the Sam's Club - Wal-Mart may ask for the same deal. Certainly every other retailer will do the same.

#2. Down the road, long after Sam's and Wal-Mart have moved on, the decisions by this council on the Sam's Club variance, if approved, will still haunt us.

#3. Will the traveling public driving the Corridor even notice they just passed through a town that was once ranked as the #1 Community in America? Signage is that important!

Conclusion:

The City Council should stick to his decision to only permit larger signage (150 sq ft) when access to medical facilities is a life or death matter. No such public benefit is warranted for a Sam's Club.

If a 100 sq ft sign, 30 ft high was good enough for Wal-Mart - it should be good enough for Sam's Club.